Stirrup

ABSTRACT

A one-piece, plastic stirrup comprising a generally U-shaped curved body piece having two side legs, which are joined by a bottom footrest, and an eye through which the stirrup strap passes. The footrest may be provided, if necessary, with an antiskid surfacing of elastic material.

United States Patent [1 1 Bischeltsrieder Sept. 16, 1975 l STIRRUP [75] Inventor: Lorenz Bischeltsrieder,

Furstenfeldbruck, Germany [73] Assignee: Stubben GmbH, Riding Equipment, Stans, Switzerland [22] Filed: July 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 379,453

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 255,219, May 19, 1972,

abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 21, 1971 Germany 2125332 [52] US. Cl. 54/47 [51] Int. Cl. B68C 3/00 [58] Field of Search 54/47, 48, 49, 49.5, DIG. 1

[ 5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 33,354 9/1861 Livingston 54/48 3,470,960 10/1969 Masone l68/DIG.l

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 709,097 5/1954 United Kingdom 54/47 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Assistant ExaminerJ. Q. Lever Attorney, Agent, or FirmStrauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies & Kurz [57] ABSTRAC'I A one-piece, plastic stirrup comprising a generally U- shaped curved body piece having two side legs, which are joined by a bottom footrest, and an eye through which the stirrup strap passes. The footrest may be provided, if necessary, with an anti-skid surfacing of elastic material.

12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEB SEP 1 6 I975 SHEET 3 [IF 3 VIIIIIAVIIIIIJJJ I Ill! III STIRRUP This is a continuation of .application Ser. No.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A Accordingly, the primary object of this invention residesin theprovision of a novel, one-piece, plastic stirrup of simple, high quality design and construction which enables the production costs to be considerably decreased. The plastic stirrup may be manufactured by injection casting or molding techniques, thereby elimimating the need for expensive finishing operations as well as measures for protecting the stirrup against corrosion. Consequently, production costs may be maintained within acceptable limits.

The novel stirrup of the invention is manufactured by using plastic material for the curved piece and the footrest, both of which are cast together in one piece. Furthermore, the stirrup practically has a constant cross section throughout its entire length, and the footrest contains an inner or outer hollow space for receiving a reinforcing loading or weighting material.

In order to increase the tensile strength of the stirrup, the plastic material is reinforced, preferably by glass fibers, and/or by steel wires which are embedded at least within the curved piece.

Loading elements in the footrest consisting of a material of high density on the one hand serve to increase of the total weight of the stirrup, and on the other hand serve to displace the center of gravity point of the stirrup towards the footrest. The loading elements are contained in a hollow space in the footrest and the hollow space is preferably covered by a lid of elastic material. It is also possible to apply the loading element or weight on top of the footrest and then to cover it by means of a lid.

The lid preferably is provided with a jagged, anti-skid profile on its top, boot engaging surface to prevent the riders boot sole from sliding off the stirrup. The lid advantageously consists of elastic material and is preferably fixed to the stirrup in a way that its ends engage into grooves provided in the inner side of the legs of the curved piece slightly above the footrest. The lid is provided with lateral or side pieces which completely or -only partially grip over the sides of the footrest and, if necessary, with clamping devices disposed at these lateral pieces. These clamping devices engage into grooves at the bottom of the footrest. This kind of clamping or locking is particularly suitable when the lid consists of a relatively soft elastic material. As an alternative, it is possible to fix the lid to the footrest by means of tongues disposed at its bottom surface, which engage into grooves at the internal surfaces of the walls of the hollow space in the footrest.

The essential advantages of the present invention can be summarized as follows: production costs are considerably lower compared with those of common stirrups of the same type of various weights; extremely light stirrups are produced with the method according to the inventionjand little attendance and care of the novel stirrup is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a first embodiment of a stirrup constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line IIII of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the lid or rest element of the footrest of the stirrup shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4' is a fragmentary, section side view of the lid shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section view of a second embodiment of' a stirrup constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along lines VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section through the footrest of a further embodiment of the stirrup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The first embodiment of a stirrup according to the invention, shown in FIGS. 1-4, consists of a generally U-shaped curved body piece 11 which is provided with an eye 12 through which a stirrup strap may pass. The lower end of the two legs 11b of the curved piece are joined together by a transverse footrest 13. Body piece 11 and footrest 13 are constructed in one-piece from plastic material by injection molding or casting techniques. In order to achieve a particularly good result, the strap engaging part 14 located above the eye 12 in the central portion of piece 11 is reduced in thickness (See FIG. 2). The cross-sectional surface of the curvedpiece 11 remains practically constant from the footrest 13 up to the eye 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, footrest 13 has a recess 15 on both of its sides, and a lid or rest member 16, constructed of elastic material and covering footrest 13, has side parts 17 engaging in recesses 15. Lid 16 is provided with a jagged profile 18 on its top surface, which affords a good anti-slip surface for a riders boot. Reinforcing and loading element or weight 19 is embedded between the lid 16 and the footrest I3. In order to receive loading element 19, lid 16 and its side parts 17 form a hollow space 20. Lid l6 nests in grooves 22 formed at the bottom inner surfaces of legs 11a of the stirrup 11, with ends 21 of rest 16 conforming to the shape of the curved piece 11 so that it is secured to the stirrup.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. Reinforcing elements in form of glass fibers or steel wires 23 are embedded into the material of the curved piece 11 and of the footrest 13'. The footrest 13' has a hollow space 24 for receiving a loading element 19' consisting e.g. of individual grains, such as lead shot grains or the like, which are cast into said hollow space 24.

The hollow space 24 is closed by a lid 16 having a jagged, anti-slip profile 18 on its upper surface. The lid 16' also has side recesses forming tongues 25 (See FIG. 6), which engage in tongue and groove fashion in complementary formed grooves 26 at the upper part of the hollow space 24 to firmly secure lid 16 to footrest l3.

Another embodiment of the stirrup is shown in FIG. 7. Space 20" for receiving loading elements 19 is formed by means of the lid 16', which constitutes at the same time the foot engaging rest of the stirrup. Side parts 27 of the lid grip past the side surfaces of the footrest 13 and locking elements 28 on parts 27 engage in grooves 29 disposed at the bottom surface of the footrest 13" to keep the rest 16" tightly in the stirrup.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent'is:

l. A stirrup, comprising: a one-piece body member of plastic material which has spaced legs, a footrest extending transversely between said legs, and an eye through which a stirrup leather can be trained, said eye being located at one end of said stirrup and said footrest being located at the opposite end thereof; and a separate loading means made of a material of higher density than said plastic for increasing the total weight of the stirrup and for displacing the center of gravity of said stirrup toward the footrest, said loading means being fixed in or to said footrest.

2. The stirrup of claim 1, together with means having an anti-skid, boot engaging upper surface fixed relative to the footrest above the loading means.

3. The stirrup of claim 2, together with strands of reinforcing material embedded in said body member to increase the strength of said member.

4. A stirrup comprising a curved body piece having spaced legs connected together by transverse footrest means, an eye in said body piece through which a stirrup strap may pass, said body piece and said footrest means being of one-piece plastic material construction, reinforcingmeans at least partially embedded into said curved body piece and said footrest means, said footrest means including a hollow space, loading means located in said hollow space, and a lid covering said hollow space. i

5. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said reinforcing means includes glass fibers.

6. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said loading means includes a weight consisting of a material having a density higher than that of said plastic material.

7. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said lid consists of elastic material having an anti-slip profile on its upper, boot engaging surface.

8. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein the ends of the lid engage into grooves at the bottom inner sides of said legs of said curved piece.

9. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein the sides of said lid include locking means which fit into grooves provided on said footrest means to lock said lid in place.

10. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein a tongue is disposed at the bottom surface of said lid and engages into a groove at the upper edge of the said hollow space within said footrest means.

11. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said curved body piece is of practically constant cross section.

12. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said lid has an upper, anti-skid, boot engaging surface. 

1. A stirrup, comprising: a one-piece body member of plastic material which has spaced legs, a footrest extending transversely between said legs, and an eye through which a stirrup leather can be trained, said eye being located at one end of said stirrup and said footrest being located at the opposite end thereof; and a separate loading means made of a material of higher density than said plastic for increasing the total weight of the stirrup and for displacing the center of gravity of said stirrup toward the footrest, said loading means being fixed in or to said footrest.
 2. The stirrup of claim 1, together with means having an anti-skid, boot engaging upper surface fixed relative to the footrest above the loading means.
 3. The stirrup of claim 2, together with strands of reinforcing material embedded in said body member to increase the strength of said member.
 4. A stirrup comprising a curved body piece having spaced legs connected together by transverse footrest means, an eye in said body piece through which a stirrup strap may pass, said body piece and said footrest means being of one-piece plastic material construction, reinforcing means at least partially embedded into said curved body piece and said footrest means, said footrest means including a hollow space, loading means located in said hollow space, and a lid covering said hollow space.
 5. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said reinforcing means includes glass fibers.
 6. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said loading means includes a weight consisting of a material having a density higher than that of said plastic material.
 7. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said lid consists of elastic material having an anti-slip profile on its upper, boot engaging surface.
 8. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein the ends of the lid engage into grooves at the bottom inner sides of said legs of said curved piece.
 9. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein the sides of said lid include locking means which fit into grooves provided on said footrest means to lock said lid in place.
 10. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein a tongue is disposed at the bottom surface of said lid and engages into a groove at the upper edge of the said hollow space within said footrest means.
 11. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said curved body piece is of practically constant cross section.
 12. A stirrup according to claim 4, wherein said lid has an upper, anti-skid, boot engaging surface. 